News and Notes: Ohio

Cross-posted at my new location, Ohio Daily Blog:

Tasty tidbits in spicy commentary sauce:

Massive Flooding Across North Central Ohio - Record-breaking rainfall and flooding across north central and northwest Ohio closes part of I-75, causes many evacuations, as reported here, here, and here.

Foreclosure Statistics Grim - Ohio is a national leader as the number of foreclosures continues to spike upward. And the number of ways that the subprime mortgage lending crash and housing slump are hurting the economy keeps growing too - add real estate agents to home builders, hedge funds, and mortgage bankers as professionals who are feeling the pain.

Wagoner and Coley Defer to Dolan on House Speaker Position - The Columbus Dispatch blog Daily Briefing reports that Rep. Mark Wagoner (R-Toledo) and Rep. Bill Coley (R-West Chester) have decided to yield to Rep. Matt Dolan (R-Novelty) in the contest for House Speaker to replace Rep. Jon Husted (R-Dayton), based largely on Dolan's fund-raising clout. Rep. Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) is still contending for the job.

Stokes New Political Director for OHDC - Toledo native A. J. Stokes, who has a 2001 political science degree from OSU and experience working with unions and on the gubernatorial campaigns of Ted Strickland (D-OH) and Time Kaine (D-VA), is replacing Adam Hewit as political director for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus. Hewitt is leaving to work for lobbyist Darryl Deaver.

Ohio Unemployment Higher Than One Year Ago - There were 14,000 more unemployed Ohioans in July 2007 than in July 2006. Ohio's unemployment rate is at 5.8%, compared to the national rate of 4.6%.

Ashford Replaces Ludeman as President of Toledo City Council - After weeks of posturing and discord, Democrats united behind Robert Ashford (D) to replace Michael Ludeman (R). Mayor Carty Finkbeiner criticized the move.

Mine Owner Angrily Dismisses Safety Criticisms - Robert Murray of the Ohio-based Murray Energy Corporation angrily denies criticism by the United Mine Workers that he knowingly operated an unsafe operation at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah, where six miners are missing (and probably lost) and three would-be rescuers were killed.